Float device



Aug. 21, 1923. 465L790 D L. RZANLETT I FLOAT DEVICE Filed Nov. 28,- 1-919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 $5 dttoz uel Aug. 21, 1923. I 1,465,190-

D. L. RANLETT FLOAT DEVICE Filed Nov. 28, 1919 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 gm wen m- Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

UNITED" srarss Lamas FATENT DAVID L. RANLETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORTO AMERICAN BALSA COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATIOK OF .NEW YORK. v j V FLOAT DEVICE.

Application filed November 28, 1919. Serial No. 341,107.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it lmown that I, DAVID L. RANLETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Float Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in float devices.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a float device which will be more particularly useful in water sports and in which the user may be seated and main tained in a sitting posture with the lower portion of his body and legs below water and the upper part of his body, arms and head above water, and to this end I provide a seat suitably swung or suspended below a float which is preferably U-shaped in conformation to provide a ready side port or entrance opening to the seat, arm rest portions at opposite sides of the seat and a back-rest portion at the rear thereof.

Another object of my invention is to pro-- duce a float preferably 'U-shaped in conformation for use in a device of the character described and composed of balsa or similar rigid and light porous, tropical wood, which as has been suitably treated to preserve and make the same waterproof.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to co-act and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results here in contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a float device embodying my invention in use;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the float device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; r

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig.

3; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to these drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my in vention, 1 indicates a seat preferably formed of canvas or other suitable flexible material movements of the knees and legs.

and adapted to permit the seating and suspension of a user below a suitable float 2 with the body of the user extending up wardly through acarrying space in said float. Said float is preferably, as shown, U-shaped in conformation in order to pro vide a ready entrance opening or port 3, with buoyant supportingside portions 4:'4 which also form arm rests for a user and a connecting rounded buoyant supporting end or back portion 5 which also forms a back rest for the user. The seat 1 is preferably disposed at the rear of the float adjacent to the connecting end or back portion and pref erably conforms in contour with the space or opening bounded by the inner edge 6 of the rear portion of the float and the side members 4l preferably extend forwardly beyond the front edge of the seat 1, preferably terminating, as shown, in enlarged terminals 77 at opposite sides of the entrance opening 3, which terminals may be grasped by the hands of the user in alight' ing from the seat.

The float is preferably formed of one or more boards of balsa wood or similar light pithy wood which has been bee-n treated to preserve and make the same waterproof. Balsa wood, besides being extremely light so that it may be readily carried around has, when so treated, great buoyancy and is fur thermore strong, rigid and durable so that it is particularly adapted for floats of this character.

As illustrated, a balsa wood core 8 is pref erably covered with a canvas covering 8 and isincreased in width at the rear or back portion 5. The seat 1 is preferably formed of canvas or similar light flexible material and is preferably inclined downwardly from front to rear so as more equally to distribute the weight of the user on the floats. Said seat 1 is, as shown, suspended from the inner edge 6 of the balsa wood float by straps 9 of canvas or similar material and the front edge 10 0f said seat 1 has a rigid edge preferably comprising a covered strip of suitable-wood 11, which is preferably suitably covered and provided along its upper surface with a padding 11 of kapok, a light buoyant material suitable for such padding The rigid edge strip of wood 11 thus forms a rest for the under portions of the leg be neath the knees and permits free lateral A similar padding 12 of kapok is preferably pro "formation and principally formed of balsa 25 violed at the inner edge of the rear portion of the float, thereby providing a more comfortable back rest for the user.

the user on land and when in the water the seat may be entered or alightcd from with ease and rapidity; the user may seat himself comfortably in a sitting posture, as illustrated in Fig. l; the side portions of the float will form arm rests and the rear rounded portion will form a back rest so as to provide an extremely comfortable marine arm chair, while the terminal portions ie-4? will enable the gripping thereof by the (in gers of the user when it desired to exit from the chair. It is also obvious that both the feet and hands of? the user in a device of this character will be free to paddle and move the float about in the water.

Having described my inventionI claim 1- 1. A portable float device comprising a buoyant float substantially 'U-shaped in conwood whch has been treated to preserve and waterproof the same, and a seat suspendec'i from and below said float and positioned in the space between the legsbf'said iish'aped float adjacent to the rear thereof.

2. A portable float device comprising a buoyant float having side supporting portions connected together at one end by a supporting end portion, said side portions being spaced to provide a carrying space and having an opening; for entrance and exit to said carrying space and'also having enlarged terminal pert/ iens contiguous to said opening; and a seat suspended from said supporting portions below said carrying space.

In witness whereofi I have signed my name to the foregoing specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. DAVID L. RANLETT. Witnesses:

A. L. VANNESS, HELEN V. WHIDDEN- 

